Regions in the United States are facing other difficult days with the continuation of the snow storm that has resulted in deaths, cut off electricity for hundreds of thousands, and caused major paralysis in air traffic, at a time when the state of Texas declared an emergency due to the energy crisis.

The US National Weather Service said on Saturday evening that it expects the storm to continue through the weekend before temperatures return to seasonal averages by the middle of next week.

And the authority expected temperatures to drop to 13 degrees below zero in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, exceeding the previous record levels that were recorded on Christmas Eve in 1983, which amounted to 10 degrees below zero.

And the American meteorologists provided advice to citizens who travel or leave their homes during the snow storm, and said that they should prepare for the extreme cold by wearing layers of clothing and covering as much skin as possible, warning of exposure to a frostbite within minutes.

Since Wednesday, the United States has been hit by the most violent storm in decades, accompanied by polar winds that caused heavy snowfall, especially in the Great Lakes region.

This resulted in paralysis in several cities, such as New York, with temperatures reaching minus 48 degrees in some areas.

Passengers at LaGuardia Airport in New York, which saw flights canceled due to the storm (European News Agency)

paralyzed victims

To date, at least 19 people have been killed in the United States by record-breaking colds and accidents.

The storm led to the cancellation of about 2,700 new flights, which brings to about 10,000 the number of canceled flights, and thousands of other flights were postponed, and this led to a change in the travel plans of millions of Americans who are preparing for the Christmas holidays.

At the same time, transportation lines were disrupted on the East Coast and the Great Lakes region, and ice and snow closed some of the country's most used roads, including the interstate 70 road, parts of which were temporarily closed in Colorado and Kansas, and some lines were also closed. Regional rail and bus lines until next Sunday.

The number of power outages in the United States has also increased dramatically over the past few hours to include more than 1.6 million homes, leaving millions of Americans without electricity.

And the Department of Energy declared a state of emergency in Texas due to the lack of electricity, as bad weather caused power plants to stop.

The ministry said that 11,000 megawatts of power plants operating on coal, gas and solar power were cut off or decreased due to weather conditions.

Strong wind combined with heavy snow storm worst in decades hits USA electricity power network and millions are without electricity in a bone chilling climate.

Life without electricity is hell in these conditions.

It is reported that already 9 people lost their lives.

pic.twitter.com/fB2ZLYiTR8

- RAMESH (@krameshkannan) December 25, 2022

difficult situations

The ongoing snow storm from Wednesday created extremely difficult conditions in several US states, including New York, which is the most affected by this storm.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochel deployed the National Guard to Erie County, whose main city is Buffalo, as authorities reported that emergency services were no longer able to handle the difficult conditions caused by the frost.

Earlier, Erie County Chief Executive Mark Boloncars spoke of the possibility of hundreds of people being trapped inside their vehicles, adding that the National Guard has been dispatched to Buffalo to carry out rescue operations there.

And in El Paso, Texas, immigrants who crossed from Mexico crowded into churches, schools and a civil service center looking for heat.

In Chicago, the relief organization "Night Ministry" has begun distributing weather clothing and blankets to the homeless.

In several states, transportation departments declared almost complete lack of visibility as a result of snow, and announced frost waves, calling on residents to stay in their homes, and drivers were warned not to drive in light of the peak travel season in the country.

Several cities, including in North Carolina, have begun cutting off power, due to heavy demand, which has left some people unable to safely heat their homes.

Snow covers a house in Ontario, Canada (Reuters)

The storm in Canada

In turn, Canada was affected by the snow storm, and the authorities issued severe warnings of bad weather and cut off electricity to hundreds of thousands of people in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec.

A large number of flights were also canceled at airports in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal, and all trains from Toronto to Ottawa and Montreal were suspended on Christmas Day after a train derailed.

In Toronto, meteorologist Kelsey McEwen reported waves of up to 8 meters on Lake Erie, while the US National Weather Service reported winds of 120 kilometers per hour in Fairport Harbor, Ohio, on the same lake.